Torn...Kratos or Avenger?

[cmburkhalter]

So. I’m super torn in the choice for my next air rifle. Hoping for some opinions here to help me make the decision .

I currently own an Air Arms TX200 and SynRod (LW barrel) in .177, and was looking for my first truly backyard-friendly .22.

The issue I’m having comes down to this; the Avenger seems like a great choice, but is loud. I’ll end up realistically adding $150 to the price tag of the Avenger, putting me only $50 away from the Kratos which, I believe, will be backyard friendly as my Marauder and TX200.

So...what should I do? Are there other .22’s in the price point I should be considering that better meet the first .22 and quiet requirements?

Also...for some reason I keep thinking about the AA Pro Sport in .22...out of the price point and different animal altogether but I do love the TX200 enough that the extra $100 over where I’d be for the Kratos isn’t illogical (in a sort of addicted kind of way ).

Thanks!

 

[Odoyle]

The Avenger is something I'm waiting for their Gen2 to resolve the leak and weak valve poppet and regulator issues first. The $279 - $299 Wooden stocked DAR Gen2 would be my first choice though. Shorter and quieter and wood stock and 3000psi fill and same one year warranty as the Avenger from a company who had already proven itself to care about their customer satisfaction by volintarily recalling and refunding everyone who bought their Gen1.

I own several of the Avenger Gen1 brothers, the ATI Nova Libertys and Freedoms and Seneca Aspen that share the same weak valve poppet prone to failure. I don't want to recommend any gun that even I keep praying mine doesn't fail at any time. Keep in mind the higher the reg pressure the less total number of shots the life of the poppet has before it fails and leaks.

I wouln't advise on any buying any gun unless I personally owned them for the long haul with zero issues unless it's from a customer friendly company or from a company with a history of reliable guns or if there's nothing bit 100% positive reviews with zero issues over a period of time because sure brand new guns and compressors work fine when new and advertised on YouTube videos big question is how long will they actually last?

If you already ordered the Avenger if you prefer a hollow plastic stock instead of a wooden stock and you plan on adding an LDC anyway and don't mind the length and extra weight with the LDC compared to the DAR Gen2 then not to worry there's thammer who repairs them and DUY who makes a better replacent poppet. Oh and the one year factory warranty but you have to pay to ship and insure it and down time while waiting.

At least you know what to expect. I have the Benjamin Akela and it so far seems to be a great gun too. No regulator to worry about creeping or failing and shoots accurately enough on only a 3000psi fill with a 5 year warranty too. I only recommend the new unproven NOT time tested (YET) Akela due to its 5 year warranty and reasonable Kral history FYI...

https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/new-dar-22/

 

[cmburkhalter]

Thanks @odoyle, never heard of DAR, I’ll look in to that as an option.

 

[cmburkhalter]

So after a bit of deliberation I decided against getting my first .22 for the backyard. Noise is definitely a concern, as is energy at range. While I think it might have been nice to have a .22 for wind resistance I think keeping noise and down range energy down is a smart choice for my current setup and skill set.



With that said, I decided to get the Hill upgrade kit for high-powered .177 setups:

https://hillairgun.com/product/high-performance-matched-parts-kit/

This allows me to scratch the tinkering itch, and will hopefully improve the consistency issues I was seeing with the Marauder and Lothar Walther barrel setup. I was seeing per-shot jumps as high as 20-25FPS, and it seemed to correlate with 50 yard point of impact shifts.

Are there any threads here or elsewhere that document M-rod upgrade kit successes in .177? They all seem to be about higher caliber setups and consistency/shot count.

Thanks for the heads up about DAR @odoyle, they’ll be in the running for my next rifle, look to be a solid low-cost contender for sure!

 

[Odoyle]

You could also convert yours into a 22 Marauder with only the 22 barrel and 22 bolt very quickly and easily since I don't think the baffles are caliber specific. The new Crosman 22 barrels seem improved too. You might be able to buy a LW from Crosman since you bought a gun already with the LW.

OH and magazine and or single shot tray on 22.